How I Started a Digital Marketing Agency with No Experience

1. Learning the Ropes

I didn’t come into this with a background in digital marketing. Everything I learned was through free resources, trial and error, and getting my hands dirty with small projects. I started by understanding the basics—SEO, social media marketing, and paid ads—and figuring out how they all worked together.

Instead of waiting to “feel ready,” I dove in, experimenting with different strategies and learning as I went.

2. The Power of Niching Down

Initially, my agency was all over the place. I’d take on any client willing to pay for digital marketing. But I soon realized that being a generalist made it harder to stand out. That’s when I decided to focus on a niche I understood and where I saw potential: pest control companies.

Choosing a niche didn’t just simplify my marketing—it transformed my business. By specializing in helping pest control companies grow online, I became the go-to expert for that industry. It also made my agency more efficient because I could focus on solving similar challenges for all my clients.

3. Building My Brand Along the Way

As I worked on landing clients, I also put effort into building my agency’s brand. One of the best decisions I made was starting the Pest Control SEO Podcast. The podcast allowed me to share tips, interview experts, and connect with pest control business owners on a personal level. Over time, it grew to over 700 subscribers, and I even had several pest control owners reach out to tell me how much they loved it.

This wasn’t just about content—it was about building trust and credibility in my niche. Even if I wasn’t directly selling, I was positioning my agency as the expert in pest control marketing.

4. Getting My First Clients

In the early days, I did whatever it took to get clients. I offered free services to a few pest control companies to build case studies and get testimonials. I reached out to businesses on LinkedIn, joined industry groups, and even cold-called potential clients. Each project, no matter how small, was an opportunity to prove my value and learn more about my niche.

5. Focus on Delivering Results

Once I started landing clients, I made it my mission to deliver real, measurable results. For example, I helped a pest control company optimize their Google Business Profile, which led to a significant increase in calls and leads. These wins built my reputation and helped me grow through word-of-mouth referrals.

6. Staying Consistent

Building my agency wasn’t about overnight success—it was about consistent effort. I kept refining my processes, improving my skills, and expanding my knowledge. I also stayed active on social media, shared insights from my podcast, and regularly updated my website to showcase my expertise.

Final Thoughts

If you’re starting a digital marketing agency with no experience, my advice is simple: pick a niche, do whatever you can to land clients, and focus on building your brand. For me, it meant transitioning from a generalist to a specialist and creating the Pest Control SEO Podcast, which became a cornerstone of my brand.

Your journey might look different, but the principles are the same. Start where you are, stay focused, and keep building. Success doesn’t come from being perfect—it comes from showing up and doing the work.